The present invention concerns a filling apparatus for a flexible pouch.
The invention finds particular advantage, but not exclusive, in the field of the injection of liquids in medicine.
In medicine, the injection of liquids is currently employed notably during giving transfusions, perfusions, artificial nutrition vascularly or digestively, injections of contrast agents, etc. Of all the known techniques, the high pressure injection of liquid contained in flexible pouches constitutes one of the best in medicine for achieving satisfactory hygiene.
The principle consists of using a flexible pouch which, like its name indicates, is typically made of a pouch of flexible material containing in one part a medical liquid for injection and equipped at another part with a reusable fitting. This fitting is for connection, possibly by an intermediate tube of adequate length, to a detachable injection conduit, such as a catheter or a hypodermic needle. The flexible pouch is then placed in an enclosure containing an inert liquid capable of being put under pressure for the purpose of compressing the pouch, forcing the liquid to flow out through the injection conduit, possibly through the intermediate tube.
If the injection of liquid contained in the flexible pouch constitutes a technically satisfactory operation, the refilling of the pouch properly is a time consuming operation since it is carried out just by gravity. One uses generally a filling device constituted by simply a refilling infuser that is put in place manually removable from the end of the reusable fitting of the flexible pouch.
The refilling infuser typically includes two conduits. The first conduit connects its distal end, that is intended to be connected to other external devices, to its proximal end that is intended to be connected to the internal volume of the flexible pouch. The second conduit connects the same distal end to an air inlet leading to the exterior and typically coupled to a filter that is impermeable by liquids.
When refilling the flexible pouch, the refilling infuser is simply maintained vertically, such that its distal end is oriented toward the top such that the later can be forced through the cap of a supply container that is oriented such that it is toward the bottom. The air inlet can then play its role of permitting the entrance of air to the interior of the supply container via the second conduit and consequently the out flow of liquids out of the supply container by the first conduit. The liquid then is going to be forced to flows out through the connection to refill the flexible pouch.
This type of filling device functioning just by gravity presents many times the inconvenience of rendering the filling operation particularly long.
The technical problem to be resolved, by the object of the present invention, is to propose a filling device for a flexible pouch, intended to introduce a liquid into a flexible pouch connected to a filling infuser by pressurizing an air inlet, filling device that will permit the avoidance of the problems of the prior technique permitting an acceleration just of the out flow of liquid into the flexible pouch and hence rapid refilling.